Shane Donahue: The Trial of Tim Hickerson

And Then They Were Gone

Little Monster Productions

True Crime, Society & Culture, Documentary

4.3 • 972 Ratings

🗓️ 29 November 2025

⏱️ 152 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this special episode of 'And Then They Were Gone', Kona and Ethan return to a case they’ve been following for years, the disappearance and murder of Shane Donahue, to break down everything that unfolded inside the courtroom during the trial of Tim Hickerson.

Kona attended the trial in person, witnessing each day of testimony, every witness, and the prosecution’s strategy as they laid out their case against the man accused of taking Shane’s life. This episode walks listeners through how prosecutors presented their evidence, how witnesses held up under cross-examination, and what key moments left those sitting in the courtroom confounded.

Throughout the conversation, Kona and Ethan reflect on what they’ve learned since first covering Shane’s disappearance in 2020, and what this trial revealed about the events leading up to his death, the investigation that followed, and the long path toward justice.

This is a deep dive into one of Prince William County, Virginia's most controversial cases, and a look at what it’s like to sit inside a courtroom when a 15-year-old case is finally put in front of a jury.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Ooh la la, I see you like an intense story.
0:02.9	But how about a change of scene, huh?
0:05.2	I'm Theo at Tour Leader with Explora.
0:07.9	And this is Punti.
0:09.4	He's helping us find truffles under the trees next to this beautiful vineyard.
0:14.7	We call Semino Eurre.
0:17.4	Semio O'Cloch.
0:18.4	Not everyone gets to enjoy a Bordeaux sunset this way, but you will if you explore.
0:23.7	No point see.
0:25.4	Searchexplore.com.org.
0:27.9	Don't just travel.
0:29.3	Explore. On March 22nd, 2010, 23-year-old Shane Donahue left his parents home in Noakesville, Virginia, and told them that he loved them.
0:47.7	Shane, who didn't drive at the time, got a ride with his buddy, Timothy Hickerson.
0:52.7	Within about 10 minutes, both of Shane's cell phones were
0:55.8	turned off and Shane was never seen nor heard from again. Over the past 14 years, there have been
1:02.4	many allegations made by both the Donahue and Hickerson families, but little in the way of justice
1:08.8	for Shane. Then on September 17, 2024, Tim Hickerson was arrested for the murder of Shane Donahue.
1:17.7	It was a day that the Donahue family had been waiting for for over 14 years,
1:22.4	but it would prove to be the beginning of an arduous journey, not the end.
1:27.2	On November 13, 2025, the trial of
1:30.6	Timothy Hickerson began, and what followed, stunned the community. When a person goes missing,
1:37.3	there's a special kind of pain in the not knowing. I want to tell the stories of those who never
	...

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